As the nation prepares to face another by-election, this time triggered
by a tactical manouevre by PKR rather than an act of fate, speculation
as to whether Abdul Khalid Ibrahim will remain the Selangor menteri
besar is intensifying.

If PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim wins the Kajang by-election and succeeds
Abdul Khalid as the MB, Abdul Khalid would not be the first Selangor MB
to be asked to pave way for political reasons.

There are at least four previous menteri besars who had to vacate their
posts in the wake of controversies and pressure from their own political
parties.

Harun Idris (1964-1976)

Having
served as the MB for 12 years, Umno rising star Harun Idris was forced
to quit when he was charged for corruption by the government.

Harun's role in the May 13, 1969 racial riots was called into question
several times, but he survived the wave of pressure from his rivals to
stay on for a second term as menteri besar.

But in 1976, he was sacked by Umno and subsequently charged with
corruption for allegedly abusing state funds. This landed him a six-year
jail term, although he was pardoned by the Agong soon after.

He is still Selangor's longest-serving MB.

Ahmad Razali Mohd Ali (1982-1986)

Former
premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's brother-in-law, Ahmad Razali, was an
unpopular figure in Selangor Umno and only lasted one term after being
appointed the top state post by Mahathir himself.

His term was marred by a reported incident during an Umno meet in Kg
Pandan where a chair was allegedly thrown at him by a delegate. In 1983,
one year after taking over as MB, Ahmad Razali saw the stage where he
was launching the Thaipusam festival in Batu Caves collapsed, injuring
34 people.

He resigned in 1986 after four years as MB to make way to Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

Muhammad Muhammad Taib (1986-1997)

A hugely popular figure in Selangor Umno, albeit dogged by his own set
of controversies, Muhammad Taib lasted 11 years as MB and was secured in
his position until he was charged in Australia for currency
irregularities amounting to RM3.8 million.

He
step down from his post after he was charged, although the court later
found him not guilty, based on his argument that he "did not understand
English" and thus could not have known about the law restricting the
bringing in of cash into Australia.

Muhammad Taib also reportedly eloped with the Selangor sultan’s daughter
while he was MB and they allegedly got married in Thailand, though the
couple have since divorced.

In the run-up to the 13th general election, he joined PAS and campaigned for the opposition party.

Abu Hasan Omar (1997-2000)

Abu Hasan Omar probably has the story that rings most familiarity with the current situation in Selangor.

A federal minister then, Abu Hasan swapped seats with Jamaludin Adnan in
order to contest the Permatang state seat, and thus forcing two
by-elections - Permatang and the Kuala Selangor parliamentary seat.

Strangely, he had also then called on the opposition "not to contest" the Permatang seat as to not to waste time and money.

However, a sex scandal, where he allegedly fathered a child with his
sister-in-law ended his short-lived tenure, leading to his resignation
in 2000. Mahathir admitted back then that Abu Hasan had to quit to stop
the "slanders and lies" against the embattled MB.

Abu Hasan was replaced by Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, who led Selangor until he lost the state to Pakatan in the 2008 general election.

However, Khir faced a corruption allegation regarding a lavish mansion
he had built in Shah Alam while being MB, though it was not until he
lost his MB position that he was convicted.

He continued serving in the state opposition later until 2010 when he was found guilty and sentenced to a jail term.

Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (2008-?)
Abdul Khalid, who is eight months into his second term as MB, has faced
stiff competition and challenges to his tenure mainly from rivals within
his own party ever since he took the post five years ago. However, the
attacks have increased in frequency following last year’s general
elections.

After intense speculation, Kajang assemblyperson Lee Chin Cheh resigned abruptly
earlier this week, paving the way for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim
to contest the seat in a by-election - believed to be with the intention
of replacing Abdul Khalid as MB.

Ironically, Anwar had told BN not to contest the by-election.- malaysiakini

A prominent Bloomberg columnist wrote today that judging from how Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his "people" are circling around Datuk Seri Najib Razak, it is hard not to wonder if the prime minister's days are numbered.

In a short comment headlined "Are Najib's days numbered in Malaysia?", William Pesek noted that nostalgia for Dr Mahathir's rule was gaining momentum in the country."For many, the age of the mercurial Mahathir Mohamad (1981-2003) was a golden one of rising living standards and strong stances against the lecturing ways of the US and the International Monetary Fund."The decade since saw one hapless prime minister after another pledge major change that didn't materialise, Najib Razak being the latest," Pesek said.The columnist's comments came after biting comments against Najib's rule from Umno veterans and politicians who say subsidy cuts will shrink support for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election due in 2018.Najib is meeting his supporters in Kuala Lumpur tonight to address the criticisms and put word on the ground that he remains in charge and will see through his reforms.Pesek also noted that Dr Mahathir led a campaign to oust Najib's predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who stepped down in 2009 after BN suffered historic losses in the 2008 general election."Are Najib's days numbered, too? Judging from how Mahathir and his people are circling, it's hard not to wonder," Pesek wrote.The opposition party PKR had also cited the danger of Najib being unseated for their leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to contest a controversial by-election in a state seat to "fortify" Selangor, the country's wealthiest state.Anwar had said he would explain his reasons for running in the Kajang by-election although his critics say it is a move to remove popular Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who has had differences with the party leadership.-TMI

I am aware that there is a lot of explanation that has to be made on the decision to vacate the Kajang seat to force a by-election. I am also acutely aware of Dato’ Ambiga’s advice communicated personally to me that we have to be as honest as possible with the people.Apology to the publicSo let me begin by offering the sincerest apology to the Malaysian public especially the voters of Kajang. The by-election will certainly consume public money and public space at the time when the people have to go through economic hardship.There is no excuse for wasting public money except to offer my sincerest apology and for the party to be prepared if the voters of Kajang decide to punish us.In all honesty, as the strongest proponent of the scheme I bear most responsibility for the decision.Dynamics in Umno, racial and religious controversiesYet precisely because we are honest to ourselves and the people, we have to acknowledge that there are problems and challenges that we are facing in Selangor that require intervention.While Khalid Ibrahim’s administration has shown sterling performance over the last 6 years that endears him to the public, there are rooms for improvement in many areas especially given the latest dynamics in Umno.It is an open secret that the move to remove Najib Razak has begun. As a party strategist, I cannot rule out the possibility that Najib is removed and Umno falls to the ultras led by Mahathir Mohamad’s faction.The unscrupulous attack and schemes to take Selangor by hook or by crook will begin the moment the weak Najib is removed. Even as we speak, Umno’s cards are all too obvious in the latest round of racial and religious controversies stirred up in Selangor in the last few months.Should Najib fall, expect a full blown manipulation of racial and religious issues to create mistrust and frustration with the Selangor government.Model state as a launchpad for PutrajayaWhile Khalid Ibrahim’s administration has set a gold standard in integrity and prudence in managing public funds, we also have to admit there are also other areas that we can improve. We need radical approach to solving the traffic woes, the pace of affordable public housing has to pick up. There is a need for more rigorous forward planning of water resources in Selangor and some hard decisions have to be made soon. We have to vigorously protect the rights of the minorities who are the targets of Umno’s political game.As an MP, I certainly believe we can do better especially with regards to cleanliness and livelihood of the people. We have the potential to be a model state with least potholes in densely populated areas.In other words, Selangor has to be doubly better than what it is today if it were to become a showcase for Pakatan in its quest for Putrajaya. Just as Istanbul was a launchpad for Erdogan and Jakarta is a launchpad for Jokowi, Selangor can be a great launchpad for Pakatan to take over Putrajaya.Fortification of Pakatan in SelangorThe job is not done and we are about to face another round of onslaught from Umno.Therefore, while it is certainly inexcusable to spend public fund unnecessarily in a by-election, it is an even bigger dereliction of public duty if we do not do anything, knowing that this round is going to be tougher.What PKR and Pakatan Selangor need is a fortification so that we can expedite reforms and simultaneously fend off political attacks and manouvres from Umno. We need as many of our top leaders around Selangor to defend Selangor because it remains the crown jewel of any political coalition in the country.Hence the decision to field Anwar Ibrahim for a state seat as this provides an option that we can readily exercise should the need arise.Does this mean there will be a change of stewardship of Selangor government? Maybe yes, maybe no. But we do have the option to optimize our leadership potential if Umno stirs up more trouble.Option is key. Having the option means having the flexibility of manouvres that can easily frustrate Umno’s game in Selangor especially with regards to racial and religious controversies.

Avoid the Kedah experienceAt the end of the day, I know no amount of explanation can sooth the public anger. I only appeal for time to let the rationale sink in and space for us to do the necessary.I also have to apologise on behalf of my party for the differences we have among ourselves that are seen as factional and often frustrates the public. Yet we trying our best to resolve it now for the sake of Malaysians, because not doing it now will certainly condemn us to the same experience of Pakatan in Kedah. We learn the lesson bitterly that differences must be managed early because the party always has to be whole to face Umno.The game-changing Kajang MoveGood political leaders will never be popular. It pains me that we have to drag Anwar Ibrahim through this and subject him to public anger, yet his willingness to be a part of the bigger picture is the mark of the man.Throughout the last few days, I reassured myself that it was Churchill who chose to be unpopular and remained a minority voice of alarm against the advancing Nazis till the end despite a public popularity to appease the Nazis. An the height of Nazi’s power, Churchill stood alone when every one else in Europe bowed to Hitler.The conviction of doing the right thing, in the face of extreme criticism and public anger, remains a yardstick of what an honest leadership is.I thank the top leadership of Pakatan who understand the necessity of doing this. I thank my comrades in the second leadership line up of Pakatan who have given the moral and political support for us to proceed.I hope that one day when we are in Putrajaya, we can look back to the difficult days of what will be called the “Kajang Move” as the game changer in our quest for Putrajaya. I honestly hope that it will our defining moments that allow us one step closer to Putrajaya.I maybe naïve and ridiculed for my naivette, but that’s as honest as I can be.Let’s look ahead for a stronger Pakatan in Selangor posed to take over Putrajaya in the next election and don’t look back.- Rafizi Ramli,Media Rakyat

Why Anwar should not be the MB...

Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement that he will be contesting the
Kajang state seat has left political analysts shaking their heads in
disapproval, as they believe that it will only mar the opposition
chief’s image as well as chances of becoming a federal leader.Anwar in a one line remark today said he is not eying the top
position in the country’s richest state but Professor Dr James Chin of
Sunway Monash University surmised that it could be the only reason for
Anwar to contest the state seat.“But this is a major misstep for Anwar, because what he is signaling
is that he is on the same level of (Penang Chief Minister) Lim Guan Eng,
which he is not; he is higher.“Anwar’s plan has always been to take over the federal government and
become prime minister. Now the message he is sending to the public is
that since he can’t become prime minister, he will settle for Selangor
menteri besar,” Chin told FMT.Chin pointed out that should Anwar secure the post, he would have to
deal first-hand with “petty issues” that may seem unbecoming of a
federal leader, such as water, rubbish collection, potholes, massage
parlours and illegal posters.The rakyat would also judge Anwar’s performance as a menteri besar
and to reflect his leadership abilities at the federal level – which may
jeapordise his chances as prime minister if he fails to live up to
expectations.“And Selangorians are an educated, urban lot. If they are unhappy
with the services of the state government, they will definitely make
their grievances public. This is how Ronnie Liu was brought down,” the
political analyst said.He further stressed that it would be no easy task to juggle as the
Selangor MB, the Opposition Leader and the Permatang Pauh MP, as the
MB’s position requires hands-on responsibilities.“But perhaps he thinks becoming Selangor MB is the right move as
Selangor, like Penang, is almost guaranteed to remain in Pakatan
Rakyat’s hands in the next general election,” said Chin.“For instance, Lim’s position as Penang Chief Minister is guaranteed,
that’s why he can run around. Maybe Anwar has made the same
calculations: that no matter what he does, he will survive.”In a statement yesterday, Professor Dr Agus Yusoff of Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia also described it as a wrong move for Anwar.

He
pointed out that many see the move as a bid to resolve the Khalid
Ibrahim-Azmin Ali spat, and the Pakatan Rakyat partners may not be happy
with Anwar gunning for the role of menteri besar.“Many see Khalid as a man of integrity and free of corruption, even if he is stingy with the state coffers,” said Agus.He said Anwar was better off focusing on national consensus than creating new political conflicts.“[They] should be looking for a win-win situation between the
government and the people, and between the Barisan Nasional government
and Pakatan. The rakyat want the political conflicts to end with a happy
ending.”

Not easy to become MBBut both Agus and Chin said it would not be a smooth road ahead for Anwar if he truly wished to head the state of Selangor.“First of all, he would still need the support of his partners in
Pakatan, and secondly, he would need the Sultan Selangor’s approval.
This is because the power to appoint the menteri besar is with the
Sultan,” said Agus.Elaborating on this, Chin told FMT: “First, Khalid has to get the
consent of the Sultan of Selangor to step down. If the Sultan refuses to
accept, then this would be a problem.“Whatever (the intricacies) of the Sultan’s relationship with Khalid,
Khalid has not disturbed the Sultan. And while the Sultan has expressed
his unhappiness over Khalid a few times, the Sultan has never asked or
demanded that he be replaced.”Whatever card Anwar was holding, Chin said, must be very strong to
override the Sultan’s possible objections to the former becoming menteri
besar.He also added that it was up to the Sultan’s discretion to end the
tradition of appointing only Selangor-borns to become the menteri besar –
an unwritten rule in the state that a local newspaper speculated would
disqualify Anwar for the top post in the state.

Selangor MB is small potatoes for AnwarMeanwhile, Dr Lim Teck Ghee, the director of the Centre for Policy of
Initiatives was reluctant to believe Anwar would make the mistake of
going for the menteri besar post.“The menteri besar post is actually small potatoes for Anwar, I don’t
see how he, who is gunning for the premiership which he has been
fixated on for years, would settle for something like this, especially
towards the end of his critical career.”Lim said it was more likely that Anwar was contesting the Kajang seat
to bring unity into PKR and Pakatan in Selangor, which has been fraught
with tension due to the spat between Khalid and Azmin.“My reading of Anwar’s move to contest in Kajang is to ensure that Pakatan and PKR’s position in Selangor remains,” he told FMT.He said Pakatan’s position in Selangor was currently precarious as
they do not hold a big majority, so adding Anwar to the state assembly
may help the situation.“It may also be seen as an affirmation of Khalid Ibrahim’s leadership
– to quell any concerns that there is any rivalry between Khalid and
Anwar,” said the political analyst.“So this move will bring unity to the fold and bring confidence to Khalid’s position.”

Yesterday, the Kajang PKR assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh announced he was
resigning his position for the “common interest” of the party, sparking
speculation that it was to pave way for Anwar to take over his position
as state assemblyman and position himself as the new menteri besar.-fmt

PAS candidate for MBSelangor PAS, meanwhile, said it is watching with interest for seismic changes within PKR.It will intervene and propose its own candidate for MB if there is
indeed a bid to oust the incumbent, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, as is being
speculated.

"Why wouldn't we want our own candidate? PAS has the most seats in the
state assembly," said state party secretary Mohd Khairuddin Othman in a
separate statement.

"Selangor PAS asks members at all levels to remain calm and wait for directions from the party."

Anwar Ibrahim will be the Pakatan Rakyat candidate for the Kajang state seat by-election, said Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim today.Speaking to reporters at the PKR headquarters here, Khalid said this was a collective decision made by Pakatan.He also confirmed that that PKR’s Lee Chin Cheh had resigned as the state rep effective yesterday but did not state his (Lee’s) reasons for doing so.At the same press conference, Anwar thanked Lee for his service as the state rep.Anwar also said he was chosen as the candidate to ensure a strong victory in the by-election.Lee in a statement late yesterday had said that he was stepping down for the common good of Pakatan.The announcement of Anwar as the candidate adds credence to speculations that he is going to replace Khalid as the state MB if he wins the by-election.The PKR hierarchy feels this is the only way to stop the bitter infighting between Khalid and Azmin Ali, who is the Selangor PKR chief and party deputy president, from causing further division in the party.However concerns are being raised if the Sultan of Selangor would agree to the idea of Anwar becoming the state MB.

Constitutional crisis in Selangor?Popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin said that the candidate being proposed to replace Khalid as the MB must be Selangor born.“If this person were to be an outsider, meaning not Selangor born, then His Highness would never consent to this person taking over as the new Selangor Menteri Besar,” he said in his latest posting in his Malaysia-Today portal. Anwar, who is the Permatang Pauh MP, was born in Penang.Raja Petra, a Selangor royalty in close contact with the royal household, also questioned if the Selangor Sultan would consent to Khalid being removed and replaced with Anwar.“And does His Highness have the authority to say no?Lastly, how's the Sultan relationship with Anwar? Remember 2012 National Day celebration event?“In Perlis, Perak (on two occasions), Terengganu (on two occasions), Pahang, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, and even in Selangor on one occasion in the past, the state rulers have had a say in who becomes Menteri Besar. So why should that change now?“And if His Highness says no to Khalid being removed and replaced with an outsider, are we going to see a constitutional crisis in Selangor like what we saw in Perak in 2009 plus many other states before this?” he asked.Anwar: I am not replacing KhalidHowever Anwar told the media that he would not be replacing Khalid as the MB even if he wins the Kajang seat. He did not elaborate on this.He further said that Barisan Nasional should not contest in the by-election if the Election Commission was concerned about the election expenses.Azmin meanwhile said the decision to pick Anwar as the candidate was a collective one made by the party, and that he was happy with it.When reporters asked Khalid if he supported Anwar’s candidacy, he said: “If I did not agree, I won’t be here”.In the 2013 general election, first-timer Lee won the Kajang seat for PKR in a six-cornered fight with 6,824-vote majority.He garnered 19,571 votes, followed by BN-MCA’s Lee Ban Seng with 12,747 votes and Berjasa’s Mohamad Ismail (1,014). Three independents got between 83 and 249 votes each.A defeat for Pakatan in this by-election would not affect Pakatan’s control of the state as it won 44 of the 56 state seats in the last GE. BN won the remaining 12.- fmt

Former Kajang state assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh said today he had resigned from his position for the greater good of Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor.Lee, who became a state assemblyman for the first time following the 13th general election last year, thanked the Kajang voters for their trust in him."My decision to vacate my position is to help strengthen Pakatan Rakyat's capabilities in Selangor so that they can serve the rakyat better," he told The Malaysian Insider."I humbly thank the people of Kajang for the trust and faith they have shown to me when they voted for me to represent them."A source from PKR revealed that Lee had stepped aside so that de facto party leader and Permatang Pauh MP Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim could contest the seat."A win for Anwar will enable him to replace Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as the Selangor Menteri Besar," the source said.However, another source had a different version of events, saying that PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli would contest the Kajang state assembly seat.Lee's resignation letter was handed over to Selangor legislative speaker Hannah Yeoh today.Lee, 42, is a lawyer and former Gerakan member of 10 years before he switched allegiances.The former Petaling Jaya town council exco member had succeeded the popular Lee Kim Sin as the Kajang state assemblyman in the 13th general election.In the May polls last year, Lee garnered 19,571 votes, defeating Barisan Nasional candidate Lee Ban Seng, who received 12,747 votes.

Under the law, the Election Commission has to call for a by-election for the Kajang state assembly seat within 60 days of Lee's resignation.

The Star reported this morning that Abdul Khalid had agreed to resign as the Selangor Menteri Besar in the near future. The report quoted a PKR source as saying that Abdul Khalid was expected to announce his decision on Wednesday.Speculation is rife that Anwar will replace Abdul Khalid as the Menteri Besar. However, both men have denied the report.Lee's resignation as the Kajang state assemblyman has merely strengthened the speculation.Earlier this evening, Abdul Khalid said he was prepared to resign as the Selangor Menteri Besar if Pakatan Rakyat had reached a consensus about his successor."I can withdraw if the party has identified my successor, but until now, there has been no discussion about the issue," he said.In the 13th general election, PKR won 14 state assembly seats compared to 15 each for DAP and PAS.- tmi

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